If you know, you know. You might have walked past the Old China Hand a load of times and not realised quite what a brilliant pub it is. After all, its friendly looking, cream-coloured exterior hardly screams ‘boozer’. One step inside, however, and you realise this place is something special.
It’s hard to say what gives the Old China Hand its vibe. The interior is unfussy, stripped back and wooden. Lighting is low and music remains unobtrusive. The beer, wine and cider selection is surprising and varied. And the owner, Rowena, is a total sweetheart and very hospitable. But the Old China Hand’s appeal is greater than the sum of its parts.
Clerkenwell is full of flashy pubs that fill to capacity after work, often becoming deafening hell holes in the process. The Old China Hand, by comparison, is a very fun, very boozy oasis of conviviality and good taste. With lots of tables (including some very iconic barrels), nice outside space and breezily efficient staff, you’re seldom waiting long for a drink or a place to sit. It may bill itself as Clerkenwell’s ‘uncoolest pub’, but the Old China Hand has unforced credibility seeping out of its every unvarnished floorboard. The fact it also has darts only adds to the undeniable kudos. If this was near your house, you’d pop in every day.